What KSU speaker
left out about May 4
I read with interest the article (''Former U.N. inspector speaks bluntly at KSU,'' May 5) on the remembrance of the May 4 shootings at Kent State. Regretfully, while the speaker (Scott Ritter, former U.N. weapons inspector) made several good points, he also managed to forget several others equally important.
For what it's worth, KSU has the same problem. It would have been nice had he mentioned the threats to downtown businesses (if they didn't place anti-war signs), the burning of the buildings and some of the other things those who lived nearby heard about.
The deaths and wounding of the students were, indeed, a tragedy but the Ohio National Guard did not come on campus because a bunch of students were holding a peaceful protest. They came because people were afraid, and public property was being damaged.
According to the speaker, the ''rights of American freedom of speech and assembly were trampled.'' My copy of the Constitution says: the ''rights of the people peacefully to assemble.'' (Emphasis added by the writer.) Regrettably, this did not happen.
I was a GI Bill commuter student at Kent from 1958 to 1967. I received a very good education, but I also learned that KSU was bigger on rights than responsibilities.
As a final note, Kent owes Professor Glenn Frank a huge debt of gratitude for the major role he played in calming things down. I can only hope he was recognized for it.
Harold A. Fulton
Wooster
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